


Shaking Out The Nerves

by MoonGoddex



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alcohol Mentions, Anxiety, Gen, Gift Fic, Musicians, Punk Rock, Spike Town | Spikemuth (Pokemon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonGoddex/pseuds/MoonGoddex
Summary: Piers has developed a pre-show routine to keep himself from being nervous before he goes on stage.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6
Collections: Fic In A Box





	Shaking Out The Nerves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skysedge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skysedge/gifts).



Piers has a pre-show routine.

As soon as he gets into the beaten-up caravan he claimed as his trailer, he prescribes himself at least fifteen minutes of laying in the dark with a pillow over his face (he'd time it on his phone), trying to think about anything except all the things that could possibly go wrong.  
Mic breaks? Backing guitarist's strings snap? Drummer gets too drunk and falls off the stage and breaks his leg? (Okay that one did actually happen once, but it did mean they got a new, less annoying drummer, which was a net positive.)  
Nope. He pointedly thinks of none of that. None of it is helpful.  
He tries to think about what he'll eat afterwards - something greasy, usually. Maybe a kebab. Possibly a half-decent curry if things go well. There's this one place in Spikemuth that does a killer korma.  
He tries to think about what he'll wear, too - he tends to stick to a small range of outfits, but there were always ways to mix and match items, to shake things up. Maybe he'd change up the make-up he wore - thicker eyeliner, or a darker eyeshadow to detract attention from the bags under his eyes.

After the fifteen minutes of what he pretended was something akin to meditation, he'd spring up, and immediately start moving. If he moved fast, his anxiety couldn't catch up to him.  
He'd grab something simple to eat (packet noodles or 4 slices of plain toast, usually - gave him energy, and didn't upset his nervous stomach), and do vocal exercises to warm up while he cooked, bouncing from one foot to the other.

He'd watch TV while he ate, flicking through channels until finding something that actually occupies most of his brain. Go-to favourites were game shows so he could play along. 8 Out Of 10 Perrserkers was a common fixture, despite being lower on the actual game portion of things, but the Countdown version did the trick well.

It's a quick costume change from there - he throws on the outfit he planned in his budget meditation session, makes any last-minute comfort tweaks, hastily applies some makeup, and sets it so he can't sweat it off.

When show time drew near, he meets up with the rest of the band, who always do the pre-show preparation without him - they knew from messy experience having him there at any pre-gig talks psyched him out so bad it would make a mess of the show.

He has time for one drink if his nerves are especially bad (usually a pint) and then he gets hooked up - mic pack clipped to his belt as backup in case the cable for the mic stand dies. Slaps his face a couple times to distract himself from the fact he's moments away from facing the audience.

And then it's showtime - erupting onto the stage with all the confidence he doesn't really have, but once he's up there and the music plays, he can forget all the anxiety he's been shoving down all evening and focus on the lyrics, on how he carries himself; loses himself as he dances, jumps, kicks things over.  
As long as he keeps singing, it's okay.  
As long as he keeps moving, it's okay.  
It's okay.  
Things go well, most of the time.


End file.
